Attachment for musical string instruments



y 31, 1945- T. F. GOODWIN 2,330,689

ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL STRING INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 4, 1945 gwuem bor/Thomas J? G'ooow/n, f

Patented July 31, 1945 ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL STRING INSTRUMENTS ThomasF. Goodwin, Muldrow, Okla. Application October 4, 1943, Serial No.504,939

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment for a musical string instrument,and the primary obiect of the invention is the provision of a devicewhich will permit a person, while playing a musical instrument whereinthe hands are fully utilized, to play accompaniments on a string musicalinstrument, such as a guitar, through the'use of a foot movement and theconstruction of the device is such that it may be easily and quicklyapplied and removed from the string instrument when desired.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section,illustrating an attachment applied to a fragmentary portion of a stringinstrument and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the device in applied position onthe instrument.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates an elongatedsupporting element or bar on which are formed oppositely extendinsupporting members 6 and 1. The supporting members 6 and I are locatedsubstantially intermediate the ends of the supporting element or bar 5and one of the supporting members has attached thereto a bow shapedattaching element 8 terminating in a clamp 9 including a set screw Iwhereby the supporting element or bar may be mounted on a sound box 10'ofa guitar or similar string musical instrument.

By referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the clamp will permit themounting of the device on the instrument by applying the clamp to a topwall of the sound box, the usual opening I I of the sound box permittingthe clamp to be easily and quickly applied to said wall.

The attaching element 8 arranges thesupporting element 5 above the topwall of the sound box and at a selected inclination relative thereto andlocating the member 1 adjacent to and directly over the top wall of thesound box and on which is journaled a gear [2. Mounted on one face ofthe gear I! are groups of actuating pins l3 adapted, during the rotationof the gear II in a step by step manner, to impart movement to strikers14 each of elongated formation and constructed of flexible material withone end secured offsets 16 of the strikers will cause said strikers tobe flexed and quickly freed so that they will strike the selectedstrings of the musical instrument to produce musical tones as anaccompani- .ment to music produced on another musical instrument playedby the same person.

A rack bar It is pivotally and slidably mounted on the element 5, asshown at it, the latter being provided with a slot 20 to receive thepivot. One end of the rack bar has fastened thereto a flexible operatingelement 2i operating through a guide eye 22 applied to the lower end ofthe member 5. The flexible element 2| is adapted to be connected to afoot treadle (not shown). Connected to a pin 23 on the element I and toone end of the rack bar ll is a; coil spring 24 acting to normallysustain the rack bar in itsuppermost position and disengaged from theteeth of the gear 12, so that when a pull is made on the flexibleelement 2| inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, the rackbar I8 is caused to pivot and slide relative to the element 5 becomingengaged with the teeth of the gear I! and thereby impart I movement tosaid gear. This movement is sumcient to cause a pin to engage an oifsetI of a striker I4 and flex said striker so that on the pin becomingdisengaged therefrom rapidly, permits said striker to strike a string ofthe musical instrument and thereby produce a musical tone As soon as thepull on the flexible element is released, the spring 24 restores therack bar II to its initial position, as shown in Figure 1, ready toagain operate the gear a partial turn by the next pull placed on saidflexible element throughthe movement of the foot of the player.

while I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,combination and arrangement or parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In an attachment for a string musical instrument, a supporting bar,means for securing said bar to a sound box of a string instrument,spring fingers constituting flexible strikers carstrikers carried bysaid bar and normally spaced a limited distance from the strings of theinstrument and eachprovided with an offset, a rotatable element mountedon said barand including spaced pins adapted to engage and disengage theoil'sets' or the strikers upon rotation of saidv rotatable element andthereby flex the strikers to cause rapid engagement and disengagementwith the strtings to create musical tones and manually operated meansfor operating said rotatable element to ,eiiect a step by step rotationof said rotatable member.

3. In an attachment for string musical instruments, a supporting bar,means for. detachably mounting said bar on a sound box of a stringinstrument, spring fingers constituting flexible strikers mounted onsaid bar and normally spaced a limited distance from strings of theinstrument, a gear Journaled on said bar and including pins, saidstrikers having oiisets to be engaged and disengaged by the pins duringthe assopea manually operated means for electing movement i oi the rackbar.

4. In an attachment for string musical instruments, a supporting bar,means for detachably mounting said bar on a sound box or a stringinstrument, spring fingers constituting flexible striking elementsmounted on said bar and normally spaced a limited distance from stringsof the instrument, a gear Journaled on said bar and including pins, saidstriking elements having oilsets to be engaged and disengaged by thepins during the rotation of the gear in a step by step movement forflexing the strikers to bring about rapid engagement and disengagementthereof with the strings to produce musical tones, a rack bar'pivotallyand slidably mounted on said supporting member, and adapted for movementinto position for engaging said gear, a spring connectedto the rack barand to said supporting member ior normally sustaining the rack bardisengaged from the gear, and a manually operable flexible elementconnected to the rack bar for imparting pivotal and sliding movement orthe, rack bar to eitect engagement with the gear and to effects step bystep rotation of the gear.

THOMAS 1". GOODWIN.

